It Changed My Life: Inspirational Stories
Wong Kim Hoh
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2015
ISBN: 9789814642286

Inspiring real-life stories by The Straits Times Senior Writer Wong Kim Hoh about lives that have been dramatically changed by events, people or circumstances.

The story of turning the other cheek: Her nose was hacked off 25 years ago by a man wielding a cleaver. Her attacker also chopped off her ears, hewed her cheeks and blinded her in the right eye by pouring boiling water onto her face. "The nurses had to cover all mirrors and reflective glass in my ward. I was hysterical. When my son saw me for the first time after the attack, he screamed and ran away and said I was a ghost," she recalls.

The story of piloting a nasi lemak business: He was unhappy when his dad asked him to give up his aviation dream. He relented after his father said: "If you go and pilot aeroplanes, who is going to pilot my stall?" Today, his nasi lemak is famous. The Sultan of Brunei requests his nasi lemak for breakfast each time he visits Singapore. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong served it to Indonesian President Joko Widodo when the latter visited the Istana.

The story of the girl with something special: Isabelle Lim weighs only 30kg, is deaf and has has just four fingers on each hand. She has Nager Syndrome -- of which there are only 200 documented cases worldwide -- and has undergone multiple operations.

... and many more stories that celebrate the human spirit, broaden the mind, encourage the weak and downtrodden, and instil greater hope and faith in the inner strength of humanity.

The Ocean in a Drop: Singapore: The Next Fifty Years
Ho Kwon Ping
Singapore: World Scientific, 2015
ISBN: 9789814730181 / 9789814730174

Ho Kwon Ping was the Institute of Policy Studies' (IPS) 2014/15 S.R. Nathan Fellow for the Study of Singapore. This book contains the five IPS-Nathan Lectures he gave between October 2014 and April 2015, and highlights of the accompanying dialogue with the audience. In his lectures, Ho looks forward to the next 50 years, offering innovative ideas and robust views on how governance and key institutions can evolve to ensure the sustainable continuation of Singapore, the "improbable nation". This book illuminates Ho's vision of a cohesively-diverse Singapore lasting beyond the lifespan of his generation and aims to get the young to ponder and discuss what kind of home, and future, they want.

50+ Things to Love About Singapore
Susan Long (ed.)
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2015
ISBN: 9789814642521

Hot on the heels of the success of 50 Things To Love About Singapore, which sold over 10,000 copies, comes this updated and abridged version in paperback.

50+ Things To Love About Singapore, edited by Susan Long and abridged by Linda Collins, welcomes you to a new view of Singapore, at 50.

It tells the quirky story of Singapore 50 years on, celebrating all its offbeat, unexpected and unheralded sides.

Prepare to be surprised as the best Straits Times writers such as political correspondent Rachel Chang and sports correspondent Rohit Brijnath give their fresh, witty insider takes on a country you thought you thought you knew so well.

Like Singapore's love for acronyms, world records and valiant-in-defeat footballers. Like its reverence for all things green, including the Singapore Botanic Gardens, which has been inscribed a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Like its peculiar brand of multi-racialism that is legislated, and trade unionism minus the strikes. Like its dubious honour of being the reigning world No. 1 for the highest obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) rates.

Be moved as a nation collectively mourns the death of its founding father and first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

The ending? Not at all predictable.

It's an open invitation to scribble your own chapters and shape your very own Singapore story.

Singapore 2065: Leading Insights on Economy and Environment from 50 Singapore Icons and Beyond
Euston Quah (ed.)
Singapore: World Scientific, 2015
ISBN: 9789814663373 / 9789814663366

As Singapore enters its 50th year of independence, it is a time for introspection to look back at the successes and challenges of the past, but is also a crucial time to consider what the future holds for the nation.

Singapore 2065: Leading Insights on Economy and Environment from 50 Singapore Icons and Beyond is one such key contribution to the endeavour of thinking about what lies ahead. While many forthcoming projects and books take a more retrospective approach reflecting upon Singapore's past, this book adopts a forward-looking perspective, contemplating Singapore's distant future, which is important for posterity. This book is a collection of key insights from 50 iconic individuals of Singapore and beyond, and contains reasoned arguments, speculations and visionary expectations of Singapore's future in 50 years' time.

The book discusses the distant future of Singapore's economy and the environment. What will Singapore's economic and environment landscape be like 50 years from now? Are there trends or scenarios common to the various discussions contained in this book? If there are, how big would be the impact of some of these trends? What and how should the government respond to these projections, expectations and informed visions of tomorrow? In sum, what would Singapore's economy and environment be like in 2065? The book explores a range of possible answers to these questions and more.

Not only will the generations of today be able to gain much insight into Singapore's future by reading this book, but future generations, specifically 100 years after Singapore's independence, will be able to understand and affirm what and how today's generations think about their time. The book is a key contribution to envisioning Singapore's future, which is also vital for understanding what shapes Singapore's landscape today.

Singapore 60s: An Age of Discovery
George W. Porter
Singapore: John Wiley & Sons, 2015
ISBN: 9781119186830

Singapore 60s: An Age of Discovery provides a firsthand glimpse at the early days of the city-state, as told through the never-before-published photographs of an American diplomat.

Author George W. Porter served as a Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore from 1965 to 1970; as a former journalist and amateur photographer, he found himself in an ideal position to document the early days of the newly-independent city-state, and the promise and ambition that led to the Singapore we know today.

These photographs capture scenes of a bygone era, with Singaporeans young and old living and working in maritime surroundings so heavily dependent on the Singapore River. A far cry from the bustling metropolis Singapore has become, the scenes in these photos nevertheless capture the heart and soul of the Singaporean citizens, and the first tiny steps that birthed a model city-state and global economic powerhouse.

Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first and founding Prime Minister, espoused a philosophy of transparent and pragmatic governance that turned a tiny, resource-poor city-state into one of history's greatest nation-building success stories. This book captures the spark of the early days, and presents a prescient view of what was to come.

Front Page: STories of Singapore Since 1845
The Straits Times
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2015
ISBN: 9789814642231

We come to know a people through their stories: Stories of origin, adversity, failure and triumph. The daily newspaper has been an enduring chronicle of such stories, both everyday and extraordinary, that are close to people's hearts and minds.

Singapore's daily English-language newspaper, The Straits Times, has been reporting these stories since 1845. It has outlived empires and crises to offer readers a front-row seat to events unfolding in Singapore and the world.

Front Page: STories of Singapore since 1845 mines the 170-year-old archives of The Straits Times for articles, headlines and photographs, including never-before-seen pictures, to tell the familiar story of Singapore in a fresh way. It borrows its themes from sections of the newspaper and looks to Singapore’s past to contemplate its present and future.

Step through the pages of The Straits Times to explore where Singapore has been, how its people came to be who they are today, and where the country is headed next.

Got Kids, Go Where?: The Best Ever CheekieMonkie Guide to Things to Do with Kids in Singapore
Kelvin Ang
Singapore: Arnour Press, 2015
ISBN: 9789814597913

Singapore is one gigantic playzone for kids! Really? Read Got Kids, Go Where? and you'll be convinced. Award-winning daddy blogger Kelvin Ang has Top 10 Lists galore -- from the best outdoor playgrounds and water play areas to the best boardwalks, animal farms and trails. Top 10 staycations? Heritage walks? Seaside dining spots with kids? Island-hopping trips? Kite-flying spots? Arts and craft places? Cultural attractions? And since we’re in foodie land, let's not forget the Top 10 breakfast places, cafes in parks, kid-friendly restaurants, dessert places, buffet places, supper places and picnic spots in Singapore!

Our Lives to Live: Putting a Woman's Face to Change in Singapore
Kanwaljit Soin & Margaret Thomas (eds.)
Singapore: World Scientific, 2015
ISBN: 9789814663151

Our Lives to Live: Putting a Woman's Face to Change in Singapore explores how women's roles, choices and voices in Singapore have changed in the last 50 years; how women, from all sectors of society, have helped to shape the Singapore we know today. The 31 chapters, some with a more academic slant, others with a distinctly personal tone, reflect the rich diversity and depth of women's contributions to Singapore's evolution in the last half century, and also point to the problematical areas that still need attention.

The authors include some of Singapore's most accomplished women in many different fields, such as Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob, political scientist and diplomat Chan Heng Chee, global women's activist Noeleen Heyzer, sociologist and politician Aline Wong, Singapore's food ambassador Violet Oon, sports legend Pat Chan, law lecturer and playwright Eleanor Wong, and novelist Meira Chand.

Living the Singapore Story: Celebrating Our 50 Years 1965-2015
Angelina Choy & Han Fook Kwang (eds.)
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2015
ISBN: 9789814342995

Living the Singapore Story is about Singapore, all 50 years of it as an independent nation. It is not a history book, or about its politics or its national leaders. It is about the people of Singapore and the stories they have to tell, in their own words.

They come from all walks of life -- policeman, soldier, doctor, nurse, car salesman, bus driver, teacher, businessman, architect and more -- reflecting the diversity that is Singapore. Some are well-known personalities you may recognise but many are ordinary folks.

These are personal stories, of the lives they led, the jobs they did, the challenges they faced, the things they enjoyed doing. Collectively, they tell the story of a people overcoming the odds to build a nation.

As Singapore marks its 50th anniversary, their stories, in this book commissioned by the National Library Board and produced by Straits Times Press, are worth celebrating.

People Matter: Essays By David Chan
David Chan
Singapore: World Scientific, 2015
ISBN: 9789814689021

This book is a collection of twenty-one essays by Professor David Chan, which first appeared in The Straits Times from October 2011 to January 2015. The essays discussed a wide range of topics including happiness and well-being, fairness perceptions, the immigration debate and population policies, social cohesion and integration, social mobility, trust in society, public expectations, rationality and emotions, approaches to policy making, modes of thinking, democracy, shared values and principles, and the social compact between people and Government in Singapore. A common theme that runs through these essays is what David calls "People Matter". "People Matter" refers to both the critical issues that matter to the people and the idea that the way people think, feel and act should matter to policy making and nation building in Singapore.

Can Singapore Survive?
Kishore Mahbubani
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2015
ISBN: 9789814342971

This book poses the question that Singaporeans must wrestle with: can we survive as an independent city-state? Kishore Mahbubani believes that Singaporeans must always ask the question because constant reflection and self-examination should be a part of the core DNA of all Singaporeans. His goal in this book is to create and enhance this culture of reflection among all Singaporeans. He gives three answers in this book: Yes, No & Maybe. With these answers, he attempts to sketch three different scenarios for Singapore's future.

There is logic behind this, as we cannot predict the future. We can, however, prepare for the future by telling stories about what the future could be like.

Besides his substantive introduction, this book offers some of Kishore's best essays on Singapore, taken from his Think-Tank and Opinion columns in The Straits Times, as well as contributions to Guardian News, The New York Times, The New York Review of Books, Davos World Economic Forum's Forum News Daily, and the "Innovations for Successful Societies" Oral History Project of Princeton University.

50 Years of Social Issues in Singapore
David Chan (ed.)
Singapore: World Scientific, 2015
ISBN: 9789814632607 / 9789814632614

The social context of Singapore is changing rapidly, and understanding how people think, feel and behave in various situations has become a key driver of effectiveness in addressing social issues. 50 Years of Social Issues in Singapore provides a comprehensive review and examination of various social issues at multiple levels of analysis including the individual, group and society.

This invaluable book adopts a translational approach to social issues in Singapore by explicitly bridging intellectual and practical perspectives. Contributed by a distinguished team of authors, the chapters examine the critical ideas underlying public debates of social issues and their policy and practical implications.

The book is organized into three parts. Part I examines issues of population and social fundamentals in Singapore such as ageing, marriage, urban planning, healthcare and racial and religious harmony. Part II analyses Singapore's social progress through issues of inclusivity such as social mobility, developing communities and marginal groups that deserve more attention. Part III focuses on core principles and social processes related to social justice, doing good, social media and approaches to understanding and addressing social issues in Singapore.

Most importantly, the chapters in this book clearly identify many of the critical, unresolved and emerging questions on various social issues that will guide the next generation of public discussion and policy deliberations on what matter in Singapore.

In Time, Out of Place
You Jin
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2014
ISBN: 9789814615044

To read a You Jin travel essay is to journey to a specific time and location, and to encounter individual people there who bring the place near, making it more tangible for the reader than it could otherwise be.

You Jin brings to her travel writing the same wit and storytelling ability evident in her fiction, adept at capturing a whimsical incident and weaving it into a narrative that is both compelling and amusing, such as her travels in Eastern Europe in the early 1990s, when the region was undergoing dramatic change. Nearly every continent is represented in this volume, beautifully captured with her trademark spirited good humour, bringing to life the vastness of the globe we inhabit, as well as more intimate encounters with the people she meets along the way, be they fellow travellers or residents of the places she visits.

Priest in Geylang: The Untold Story of the Geylang Catholic Centre
Fr. Guillaume Arotçarena
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2015
ISBN: 9789810936785

Cosmopolitan Singapore -- emblematic of globalised capitalism -- usually calls to mind a number of clichés: orderly, clean and green, a shopping and business paradise, and a model of sound economic management. Tourists, journalists and passing businessmen cast an absent-minded glance at the local society, noting that the food is excellent, e-communication works well and armoured tanks are absent on street corners.

But after 17 years living here, the author shows a different side of Singapore: looking at her from the grassroots. Beyond his personal atypical story, he draws with light strokes of the brush, a picture of a warm and generous people, much less passive than one os often given to think. He also describes the difficulties faced by civil society, and tracks the rapid social evolution in the city-state as it is confronted with major challenges: a nose-diving demography, cramped territory with an infrastructure which cannot be extended indefinitely, and massive immigration which in increasingly resented by the local population.

Most of all, Fr. Arotçarena places on record the work and significance of the Geylang Catholic Centre, which makes this priest in Geylang himself a legend.

Singapore 365: A Retrospective on 2013
Amin Zainotdini and Dominique Husken-Ulbrich
Singapore: Husken-Ulbrich Books, 2014
ISBN: 9789810776985

Singapore 365 is essential reading for anyone interested in Singapore. Based on interviews, illustrations, maps, articles, pictures, and infographics, this first annual edition of Singapore 365 looks back at the main events of 2013, and thereby witnesses history in the making on the eve of Singapore's 50th birthday. Singapore 365 is designed to give a comprehensive view of the city-state's dynamism on politics, society, business, culture, sports, and sustainable development. It aims to provide an up-to-date image of Singapore today in a way that will both inform and entertain.

S R Nathan In Conversation
Timothy Auger
Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, 2015
ISBN: 9789814610032

Few people have watched the development of today's Singapore as closely as President S.R. Nathan. Born into humble circumstances, he experienced destitution and the Japanese Occupation. After the war he embarked on a lifetime of public service. Having earned a university diploma as an adult student, he worked as a seamen's welfare officer, and then as a trade union mediator. There followed a very distinguished career as a civil servant, notably in the foreign affairs and defence ministries, and as a diplomat -- not to mention a spell as executive chairman of Straits Times Press. At an age when most people contemplate retirement, he served two full terms as President of Singapore.

In a series of informal, wide-ranging interviews conducted specially for this book, Mr Nathan reflects on modern Singapore, its history, and its extraordinary achievements. He shares vivid recollections of some pioneering nation builders, and warns of the real challenges that he sees confronting both government and people today.

Singapore Siu Dai 2: The SG Conversation Upsize!
Felix Cheong
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2014
ISBN: 9789810925499

Bolder and edgier! Felix Cheong's follow-up to Singapore Siu Dai finds him poking his pen once again in topical issues. And he doesn’t shy away from spoofing highly-paid ministers and asking tough questions. Like: Are we really a nation of top problem solvers? What if Sentosa Cove becomes a rich man's republic?

Singapore Siu Dai 2 will delight you with its off beat humour and its short, sweet and sharp storytelling.

Home: 50 50-Word Stories to Celebrate Singapore's 50th Birthday
Andre Yeo
Singapore: Andre Yeo, 2014
ISBN: 9789810917876

There are numerous books on life in Singapore. But none like this. In the first of its kind, veteran journalist, Andre Yeo, captures everyday life here in 50 stories, each 50 words long. To celebrate Singapore's 50th birthday in 2015, it is a book Singaporeans can relate to.

From serving National Service, to breathing in the haze, to wasting food, to raising a family and buying property, Andre captures these experiences and much more. You'll smile, laugh and chuckle to yourself as these passages remind you of days gone by.

The Other Singapore Story: One Man's Journey From PSLE Failure to University Graduate
Ravindran Kanna
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2014
ISBN: 9789814561198

This book tells the story of a young man who failed his PSLE examinations, but through sheer determination, perseverance and hard work is now a graduate teacher at a primary school in Singapore.

Attending a full-time vocational course (Maintenance Fitting) in the day and part-time night classes, he scored his first success -- a GCE N Level certificate in 1989. While in National Service, he studied and sat for the O Level exams, not once but twice so as to get better results to enter a polytechnic. While holding full-time day jobs, he attended night classes at Ngee Ann Polytechnic and in 1997 obtained a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering. In 2000, he joined the Ministry of Education and attended teacher training courses in the day while continuing at the polytechnic at night; by 2002, he had two more diplomas to his name -- a Diploma in Education and an Advanced Diploma in Industrial Engineering and Management. Capping it all is a Bachelor of Arts in English with Psychology awarded by UniSIM in 2005.

The author did not let failure set him back nor problems or challenges defeat him. He forged on with an iron will. He took a shot at every available educational opportunity Singapore offered to better himself -- and he succeeded. A firm believer in lifelong learning, his 16-year journey of part-time studies covers true events of the many people who have helped him in one way or other.

50 Things to Love About Singapore
Susan Long (ed.)
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2014
ISBN: 9789814342803

As Singapore marks 50 years of independence, The Straits Times (ST) has put together a book about love. This intimate study of the things we know and love about Singapore is written by some of ST's most authoritative beat reporters.

It is a dossier of modern Singapore halfway through her first century, an often surprising composite portrait of the little quirks, incongruities and rhythms of life in Singapore, which we chortle, ruminate and worry over, with familial affection but sometimes also exasperation.

It delves into the ironies of nanny state policies and political instincts that die hard among rulers and ruled alike, pricey cars and real estate, a land-scarce city which prizes greenery to the point of fashioning vertical gardens, Singapore's prowess at the most oddball sports and penchant for setting all manner of world records, her own brand of guided multi-racialism, her citizens' preference to complain rather than protest, the fast-growing global cult that is Singapore maths, and the skilful code-switching that makes it so natural for Singaporeans to eat across many cultural and culinary cost divides.

But enduring love is not blind. The writers do not flinch from looking at where Singapore is showing her age and what she has had to leave behind in the quest for her next edge.

There is much to love about Singapore at 50. But this has been no easy ask-no-questions, take-her-as-she-is love.